Patent GB-934403-A (GB)
Title: Thermal power system
IPC: F01C1/28
Filed: 1960-08-26
Abstract: 934,403. Gas turbine plant; rotary engines. H. WALTER. Ang. 26, 1960 [May 20, 1960], No. 29503/60. Classes 110 (2) and 110 (3). A thermal power plant comprises a gas generator of the rotary engine type, an exhaust pulse equalizer as set forth in Specification 807,648, or in Specification 857,749, and an exhaust gas-turbine connected in series flow, the gas generator having an inlet for receiving working fluid from the pulse equalizer and an outlet through which combustion gases are discharged to the pulse equalizer and thence to the exhaust gas-turbine. A first embodiment is shown in Fig. 3 and comprises a supercharger 3-1 which supplies air under pressure to the inlet of the combustion gas generator 1-50, combustion gases from which discharge through the pulse equalizer 3-100 to the exhaust gas turbine 3-150 which drives the supercharger 3-1 by means of the shaft 3-2. The gas generator may be a rotary engine, as shown in Fig. 1 and comprising inter-engaging rotary lobes 1-54, 1-55, an air inlet 1-56 and combustion gas outlet 1-57, as described in Specification 807,647. The gas generator is connected to the pulse equalizer which is shown in Fig. 2, and comprises an annular passage 2-107 formed between two cylindrical members 3-101, 3-102, the passage being separated into two parts by means of a helical partition 2-105, 2-106, so that air from the supercharger passes through one portion of the passage to the outlet 2-111 which connects with the air inlet 1-56 of the gas generator while combustion gases from the outlet 1-57 of the gas generator enter the inlet 2-112 of the pulse equalizer through the outlet 2-108 with a swirling motion. The gases are directed on to the turbine rotor blades by means of nozzle guide vanes 3-151. The gas generator may supply external power by means of shaft 3-62. The embodiment shown in Fig. 4, comprises an axial-flow compressor 4-1 which supplies air under pressure to the engine 4-50 which drives an airscrew mounted on shaft 4-62 and supplies exhaust gases through the pulse equalizer 4-100 to the turbine 4-150 which drives the compressor, the exhaust gases from the turbine discharging through nozzle 4-115 to provide additional thrust. In a further embodiment similar to Fig. 3, both the engine shaft and the turbine supply useful power, the shafts thereof being coupled together by gearing. In Fig. 6, the supercharger 6-1 is an axial-flow compressor driven by the engine 6-50 through gearing 6-200<SP>1</SP>, exhaust gases from the engine passing through a pulse equalizer to the gasturbine 6-150. In Fig. 7, two engines 7-50 and 7-50<SP>1</SP> are coupled together, and drive the compressor through suitable gearing 7-200<SP>1</SP>, exhaust gases from the two engines passing through the two pulse equalizers 7-108, 7-108<SP>1</SP> to the exhaust gas-turbine. In a further embodiment exhaust gases from the turbine discharge through a heat-exchanger in which a portion of the air from the air compressor is pre-heated before mixing with the gases discharged from the engine. In Fig. 9 the air compressor 9-1, engine 9-50 and turbine 9-150 are disposed in axial alignment, the engine and the turbine being coupled together and the compressor driven from the engine and turbine assembly through gearing. In a similar arrangement two engines are utilized, the pulse equalizers being disposed similarly to those in Fig. 7. In Fig. 11 a third engine 11-50<SP>11</SP> is used but disposed at the air inlet side of the air compressor, the pulse equalizer 11-100<SP>1</SP> supplying gases from the engine 11-50<SP>11</SP> through the outlet 11-120. In Fig. 12 two engines 12-50, 12-50<SP>1</SP> drive a contra-rotating radial-flow supercharger compressor 12-1 disposed therebetween, exhaust gases from the two engines passing through two pulse equalizers to the turbine 12-150. In a similar embodiment, an astern turbine is provided and a valve-controlled duct is disposed around the turbine 12-150 so that gases may be led either to the ahead turbine 12-150 or to the astern turbine. The two turbines are connected to the output shaft through gearing. The arrangement shown in Fig. 14 is similar to that just described except that the ahead turbine 14-150 and the astern turbine 14-150<SP>1</SP> are disposed at either end of a shaft 14-153 which passes through the pulse equalizers. The outlet from the astern turbine 14-115<SP>1</SP> is through a valve-controlled duct 14-307 to the common outlet 14-306. In another arrangement similar to Fig. 12, a reversible turbine is utilized in place of the uni-directional turbine 12-150, the turbine being of the Francis type and the inlet guide vanes pivotable so that the turbine may be caused to rotate either in the forward or the reverse directions. In another arrangement similar to Fig. 4, a second-stage exhaust gas-turbine is disposed in axial alignment with the engine 4-50 and coupled thereto, gases discharging from the firststage exhaust gas-turbine passing to the secondstage turbine instead of through the propulsion nozzle. In a further embodiment two units similar to that of Fig. 4 are disposed in axial alignment at either end of a common exhaust duct and gases pass therefrom to a doubleflow low-pressure turbine disposed between the two engines 4-50 in axial alignment therewith and coupled thereto.